A Field of Invention:
The invention relates to a beverage brewing device and, more particularly, an adaptation of a coffee maker to allow for the brewing and dispensing of multiple beverages or any variation thereof from a single structure.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Coffee makers are known in the art for providing convenient appliances specifically adapted for brewing coffee. Most coffee makers include a water reservoir adapted with a heating element, a filter basket adapted for receiving a filter filled with coffee, and a coffee pot disposed below the filter basket. Conventional coffee makers however are limited to brewing one beverage, e.g., regular coffee, at a time. It has been found, however, that some consumers of hot beverages are fond of a variety of flavors, brands, and beverages. As such, the prior art reveals attempts to provide coffee makers capable of brewing and/or serving different types or flavors of beverages in a single system.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,900, issued to Horvath et al., discloses a dual compartment serving pot having a pair of pot halves with substantially flat inner walls abutting each other when said halves are joined to a single serving pot having a pair of compartments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,871 to Broker discloses a portable two-liquid dispenser for dispensing one of two liquids from a single vessel having a first and second horizontally disposed compartments separated by a liquid-impermeable barrier, a neck secured to a mounting handle, a valve assembly including first and second valve elements rotatably mounted in the neck for swinging between open and blocking relationship with the compartments and a valve seat in snap-fit relationship with the valve assembly.
Other art also reveals references directed to simultaneous brewing of two beverages, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,406 to Bouldin, for an improved coffee brewing apparatus that provides a grounds basket having a divider separating the basket into two side-by-side compartments. Each of the compartments has a brewed coffee outlet in the bottom thereof for passage of the brewed coffee downwardly therethrough and a diverter plate associated with the basket for diverting hot water from the coffee making apparatus uniformly to each side of the basket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,630, to Hall discloses a beverage brewing apparatus having a water containing lid which divides a flow of heated water into two measured portions. The lid enables collection of heated water from various sources including an electric drip coffee maker, and is removably supported by a brewing container having two inner chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,589 issued to Yerves, Jr. et al. discloses a multiple beverage dispenser wherein a container is divided into two separate compartments for holding two different types of beverages therein. The dispenser can be used in conjunction with a dual system electronic coffee maker, to receive any combination of brewed coffee.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,848, issued to Pelech et al., discloses a new dual reservoir coffee machine for making two different types of coffee in two separate pots. A coffee filter attachment couples with a water dispensing portion of the dual system coffee maker, and a pair of semi-cylindrical pots are positioned on the lower burner portion of the dual system coffee maker. Each of the pots has a cover with an opening therethrough. The openings align with the coffee filter attachment. Each of the pots have a handle extending outwardly therefrom.
The above art provides devices which are limited in operation and employ complex and specialized components. This art fails to teach or suggest an apparatus suitable for use with a conventional coffee maker for converting the coffee maker into a machine capable of simultaneous brewing of multiple types/flavors of hot beverages. Accordingly, there exists a need for such an improvement in the art of beverage brewing devices. There also exists a need for a multiple beverage brewing system that is safely usable on vessels such as airplanes and ships where some movement of the environment is a likely occurrence.
The within invention overcomes the above set forth disadvantages and limitations in the art by providing a system which adapts an otherwise conventional coffee maker into an apparatus capable of simultaneous brewing of multiple types and/or flavors of hot beverages and dispensing the same through a plurality of specially configured compartments of a serving container.